Netflix advertising in the UK: how to plan a campaign

What to take away

Is Netflix advertising available to UK brands?

Yes. Netflix launched its ad-supported plan in the UK in November 2022, opening its British audience to brands for the first time. Inventory can be bought directly from Netflix's sales team or through approved programmatic partners, and the route you choose shapes your minimum spend more than anything else.

Smaller advertisers usually reach Netflix inventory through a demand-side platform rather than a direct deal. In the UK that normally means Google's Display & Video 360, The Trade Desk or Microsoft Advertising, which now carries the former Xandr inventory. That route keeps the entry point lower, but you pay a technology fee on top of the media.

Direct deals are typically quoted with a minimum in the tens of thousands of pounds, while programmatic seats often start from a few thousand. Treat both as typical planning ranges, not published rates.

Broadcasters including ITV and Sky sell addressable inventory of their own, and their minimum spends differ sharply. Understanding those differences before you commit budget pays off, and comparing Sky AdSmart and ITVX is a quick way to see how the entry points stack up.

On price, typical UK planning ranges put ITVX near Netflix on CPM, while Sky AdSmart is usually bought lower, often between £10 and £15 per thousand impressions.

What drives Netflix advertising costs in the UK

Four things move the price you are quoted. Ad load comes first: Netflix runs fewer advertising minutes per hour than most linear channels, which supports higher rates but limits weekly inventory.

Targeting is second. Netflix sells the demographic and geographic cuts UK planners expect — age, gender, region and location — alongside genre and content-based targeting. Broad demographic buys cost less per thousand impressions than tightly defined audiences, because narrow targeting wastes delivery in a small UK pool.

Seasonality is third. Retailers and streaming rivals push demand up between October and December, and CPMs rise with it. A budget set in January can look very different when the same campaign is priced in November.

The buying route is fourth. Direct and programmatic deals are priced differently, and a managed-service fee sits on top of either.

What formats can you buy on Netflix?

Netflix inventory is sold as non-skippable spots rather than skippable digital units, most commonly 15 and 30 seconds long, booked into the breaks that sit around episodes. Creative is delivered as standard 16:9 HD video, so a linear television master usually clears the specification, and Netflix issues its own spec sheet with each campaign.

Because slots cannot be skipped, planning leans on frequency caps and completed views rather than click-through. Confirm the current durations and file specification with your seller, as Netflix has added new slot types since launch.

What the Netflix ad tier costs viewers

Netflix's ad-supported plan is the cheapest way to watch the service in the UK, and it lists at £4.99 a month. That price matters to advertisers for one reason: lower viewer prices widen the pool of households that ad-funded reach can touch. Netflix has raised its other UK tiers since launch, so the ad-tier figure can change.

That price point also explains the tier's reach: it brings in households a subscription-only service would have left out.

How to budget a Netflix test

Use a fixed budget and a clear success measure. The figures below are illustrative planning numbers, not quotes from Netflix or its partners.

Set your success measure before launch, and agree every fee in writing with the media and technology lines shown separately. Knowing average UK CTV ad completion rates gives you a benchmark to hold the seller to, so you are not paying for delivery nobody watches. Ask for reach reported on the BARB currency and for your verifier's completed-view report, so the measurement line buys you something you can act on.

Rules and data duties

Advertising shown on UK video-on-demand services is covered by the CAP Code, which the ASA enforces. Ofcom is the statutory regulator for UK video-on-demand and on-demand programme services, and its rules sit alongside the self-regulatory CAP Code. Claims, substantiation and targeting face the same scrutiny as a linear television campaign.

If you build or enrich audiences for CTV targeting, the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018 apply, and the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR) sit alongside them. Consent, lawful basis and retention should be documented before a campaign goes live, not after.

Common questions

Is Netflix advertising available to small UK businesses?

Yes, though rarely directly. Most small advertisers buy through a demand-side platform or an agency that already holds a seat, which avoids the direct-deal minimum but adds a technology fee.

How much does it cost to advertise on Netflix UK?

Netflix does not publish a UK rate card, and quotes every campaign individually. Pricing comes from your brief, your audience and the season, plus technology and verification fees. Direct deals carry a higher minimum than programmatic seats.

What CPM should I expect on Netflix in the UK?

UK connected TV planning typically sits between £15 and £40 per thousand impressions. That band covers the market as a whole rather than Netflix alone. Netflix quotes each campaign individually, so treat the band as a starting point.

Can I measure a Netflix ad campaign?

Yes, through completed views, unique reach and third-party verification. BARB, the UK's television audience measurement body, is the standard currency for CTV reach in Britain, and independent verifiers such as DoubleVerify and Integral Ad Science check that the impressions you bought were actually delivered. Click-based measures tell you very little on a television screen.